SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop slated for June

IDG News Service - SuSE Linux AG now plans to ship its SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop operating system in June, a delay from original plans to ship it during the just-ended first quarter.
SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, which is beta-testing now, will cost $129 per desktop, although discounts would apply to high-volume purchases, Rafael Laguna, SuSE's marketing vice president, said yesterday.
The Nuremburg, Germany-based company's Linux Enterprise Desktop would be its third desktop operating system, joining SuSE Linux, the entry-level member of the family aimed at individual users, and SuSE Linux Office Desktop, which is aimed at small offices with its networking and disk-partitioning capabilities, Laguna said.
With many companies using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows as a client to SuSE Linux's server operating system, SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop will offer those companies the option of also running SuSE software on the desktop, Laguna said.
SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop will share the code base with SuSE's other desktop and server operating systems, giving users a high degree of compatibility across the company's line of operating systems, he said. It will be tuned for companies and government agencies with a wide range of users, from 10 users to more than 100,000. Consequently, it will be engineered for automated, centralized large-scale deployment and management through SuSE administration and installation tools, including Yet Another Setup Tool (YAST), AutoYAST and tools from third-party vendors, such as Boston-based Ximian Inc.'s Red Carpet Enterprise.
In addition, the product will feature fonts that are metric-compatible with Microsoft fonts, which will make it easier to import Microsoft Office documents, Laguna said. The product will ship standard with one year of maintenance and support, which gives users access to patches, product updates and security fixes. Buyers can opt to pay extra for additional years of maintenance and support.
The company plans to provide more details about the product when it makes an official announcement in May, a spokesman said today.